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Last Wednesday’s meeting was bitter-sweet. We had so much fun at topics: there were tales of sleazy master-bakers, girls hating flowers and Sarah imagining life as a salad. There were lots of  lovely new members who really added to the buzz. One guest gave a very confident commentary on an ‘art piece’ and Brian, another guest, extolled the delights of Dublin. Speaking felt easy, fun and sociable – just like it should be. And then we had to say good-bye.

 

One of our most beloved members, Tommy, is moving to Cork and said his good-byes in his open mic slot. With typical generosity Tommy spoke of how Vox Populi had a hugely positive impact on his life, filling him with self-belief and a sense of power. He spoke of how much we all meant to him and of our support and positivity.

I think, however,  we all agreed with Merrilyn’s appraisal: “Tommy gave more than he ever took away.” Tommy was always pushing the boundaries, entertaining us all with his warm, fun-loving personality; entering contests, taking on new roles and being fully present to every meeting. He embodied the spirit of Vox and will be greatly missed.

 

After the break we had two great speeches by Sarah and Molly. Sarah’s speech, entitled ‘No such thing as a free lunch’ reminded us that although it may seem we can watch/read/download endless free products from the net, we are in fact paying for it with our personal information. When it comes to the internet, ‘we’ are the product.

 

Molly spoke clearly and passionately on ‘Dealing With Stress’. She appealed to our reason with statistics on the adverse consequences of stress, and to our emotion with personal anecdotes. Her conclusion struck a chord with many: “ Money does not support our well-being half so well as free time. How simple, how basic, and how important free time is to us, and yet how it is missing from our culture.”

 

Hear, hear. Looking forward to more good times tonight at 7pm,  and best of luck to Tommy who shared so much of his time with us :)

A Fond Farewell